DAY 04

God's Covenant with Abraham

When God created man he knew he would disobey him. He already had a plan to redeem man back to himself. His plan of redemption began by choosing a man named Abram and his wife Sarai. He later changed their names to Abraham and Sarah. God called Abraham and told him to leave his country and his father and come to a land that he would show him. Abraham obeyed God and left his home and his father. God led him to the Land of Canaan. God swore to Abraham he would bless him and multiply him abundantly. He also swore he would give the Land of Canaan to his descendants as an inheritance. He told Abraham that through his Seed all the nations on earth would be blessed. Abraham believed God and God counted his faith as righteousness. God told Abraham he would make a covenant with him to ensure his promises would come to pass. He told Abraham to take some animals and kill them, cut them in half, and lay the halves out in order to make a path between the animal halves. Abraham obeyed God. That evening two flaming torches walked through the animal halves. After the covenant was made God told Abraham to circumcise himself, his son Ishmael and all the male servants in his household. Circumcision was the sign of the covenant. All who were circumcised were in the covenant. Anyone not circumcised had no part of the promise. Animal sacrifices in the Bible are a picture of Jesus on the cross, for Jesus is the Lamb of God and our Passover Lamb. The covenant God made with Abraham is a beautiful picture of Jesus on the cross. The two flaming torches that walked through the animal halves are a picture of God the Father and Jesus the Son making a covenant at the cross. It is a picture of the New Testament. The new covenant is not between man and God. It is between God the Father and God the Son. Therefore it can never be broken. Jesus came to this earth as a perfect man. He came to represent us before the Father. All who receive Jesus as their Savior are placed in Christ by the Father. Our salvation is secure. We cannot break the covenant, for our salvation is not based on our performance or our obedience to God’s law. It is based on Jesus’ obedience to go to the cross and take our sins and give us his righteousness as a free gift. All who believe the gospel of Jesus Christ and invite him into their hearts are circumcised in their hearts. The sin nature is cut off their spirit and their hearts. All who believe the gospel are considered righteous in God’s sight. Just as our father Abraham was considered righteous because he believed God so are we because we believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Only those who believe are circumcised and only the circumcised can receive the promise of entering the Promised Land of good health, long life and abundant prosperity.

Prayer

Father, Thank you for placing me in Christ Jesus and making me righteous in your sight. Thank you for qualifying me to partake of the glorious inheritance of the Saints in the Light. I receive the free gift of righteousness that Jesus purchased for me.

Confession

I am a son of God. I am an heir of God. I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. The blessings of Abraham belong to me. I receive the abundance of God’s grace into my life. I receive the promise of good health and long life the Father has freely given to me.